Personalized Mechatronic Lower Limb Orthosis

The main purpose of this project was to development an affordable mechatronic ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) for the lower limb, utilizing advanced 3D technologies, aimed at improving the rehabilitation of patients with acquired or congenital injuries. The created orthosis not only stabilizes the ankle joint but also collects data on the movement of the lower limbs, which is transmitted to an interactive rehabilitation application in a virtual reality environment, introducing gamification into the rehabilitation process. The project was a part of the international EMERALD initiative, funded by the Iceland Lichtenstein Norway grants, and is carried out in collaboration with partners from Romania, Poland, and Norway. The described key stages of the project include gathering geometric data (the orthosis was based on 3D scans created on AutoMedPrint automatic workstation located in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Poznan University of Technology), developing personalized orthosis models (the orthosis was designed digitally, using obtained scans and MeshMixer software, basing on previous experiences of building therapeutic leg orthoses), designing an electronic system for motion monitoring, optimizing costs and production efficiency using 3D printing, and creating a rehabilitation application in virtual reality.